10 Tips to Shaving 20 Percent Off Your Grocery Bill

It is the time of year when everyone is looking for ways to save money. Consumable items are one of the most obvious areas of savings. I am often asked how we manage to keep our grocery budget low, and the tips below will help you find ways to slice your grocery bill by at least 20 percent.

Plan a Menu
Write the menu on the family calendar that has everything else on it. The activities listed on this calendar will trigger your thoughts on who will be available for each day's meals. It will also highlight crunch days so you can plan accordingly. Days where you are running kids around after school or work may require a slow cooker meal. The family calendar helps you recognize these days and plan accordingly. One key element for saving the 20% is to use your favorite store's sales flier when planning the menu which leads me to the next item.

Shop the Sales
If you do not get the weekly sales flier delivered, look online. I review our store's flier on the web each week. Plan your menu around the meats and produce that are on sale that week. If there is a particularly good sale item that you use often make a note to stock up on it. Over time, you get a general feel for how much of one item you might need before the next sale. Many areas repeat sales every twelve weeks. I find that certain items go on sale much more frequently. I am fairly aware of how often the sales come around for my most commonly used ingredients. In my house, this week's menu will have sale items from both last week's and this week's ads. If ground beef family packs are at a super low price, you can stock up and use it for several weeks. I generally bring the sales flier to the dinner table one night and mention the meats and produce on sale. I ask family members what sounds good to them and get other requests for the grocery list. Make your menu from the sales flier and then make your grocery list using both the menu and the sales flier.